The Building of Robert Meyhoefer’s Shipping Company

Robert Meyhoefer founded his shipping and travel company in 1920 and its building was built on Žvejų st. 2 (former Fischerstrasse 12) in 1923. Its construction was based on Chicago skyscraper projects. It was the first new style frame building in Lithuania. The building’s project and construction were curated by the President Antanas Smetona himself, who was fascinated by constructions in Chicago. It was the first multi-storey building in Klaipėda with an installed elevator.
The building consists of two contrasting parts, with vertical upper and horizontal lower divisions. The building features the influences of expressionist and other styles of the early twentieth century.
It was built on watery ground, barely ten metres above Danė river, thus the foundation was reinforced with wooden posts. The construction of the building involved new soundproof and supporting materials for floors, enabling a free arrangement of the inside dividing walls. The construction was not completed – two storeys were cancelled due to lack of funding.
This building hosted the following institutions: Directorate of Klaipėda District, a Traveling agency and a bank. The Directorate of Klaipėda District was an administrative body of Klaipėda region, functioning from 1920 to 1939. Circa 1923-1925, Ieva Simonaitytė, the writer of Klaipėda region, used to work at the directorate’s translation agency. At that time, the directorate was led by the Chairman Viktoras Gailius.
The building still stands there today, with cafeterias on the ground floor (2017).